Advice for young artists

I have been interested in art since I was a young child. My mother was and is very artistic. She encouraged crafts and anything creative and imaginative. Although I didn't know I would take my love of art into a more serious path, there are a few things I wish I could have been told about art and the art world when growing up.

So here is some of my best advice for young artists.

1. Date all of your work.

One of the best things is looking back at old work to see what I use to like to make and to see how much I have evolved as an artist.. Making sure you put a year on your art and it will ensure you know how old you were when you made something. Just TRUST me on this one!

2. Not every work has to best your best.

When I was younger, I would start a drawing or painting and it sometimes didn't end up how I wanted it, which art can sometimes do. This is something that even experienced artists deal with but I wish someone could have taught me this early on. Just because a piece of artwork doesn't come out the way you were hoping,  doesn't mean that you are not talented. Sometimes what we want it turn to out to be isn't even close to how it actually ends up being. Let it happen naturally.

3. Do not compare your art negatively with other's.

This is something that I use to do a lot but mostly to myself in my head. I rarely verbalized my feelings about how I thought my art wasn't very good because another person's was so much better. Please do not discourage yourself from creating art because of envy of another person's work.  Let it be inspiration that fuels you instead and one day you will be the fuel for someone else. 

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4. You don't have to be a realistic artist to produce great art.

So many people tell me they wish they could draw "they can't even draw a stick figure." This makes me so mad that many people think that they can't create art if it's not realistic.  Think of all the world's amazing abstract painters for example.  If you love art and practice hard enough,  just like anything in life, you can be successful at it.

5. Enjoy what you do.

At the end of the day you want to make sure that you are enjoying your art and the process. Making art is a freeing and meditative experience if you view it as such. The minute you start to stress or loose interest, think about trying another medium or even take it back to a simpler art like coloring. It will calm you and might just be exactly what you need to get you back on track with a happy inspired path to brilliant artwork.

If you think this helped you or could help another artist you know,  be sure to share and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for coming by and if you would like to get notifications for my art blog hit the blue subscribe button at the top right of the page.

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy featured art of the day:

Little Boys Nursery dream wall art 

Song of the day:

Color of the day:
new age - 1444

5 things to remember when you feel like you're falling behind.

Look who it is! It's me the slackiest slacker on the world wide web of blogging! Oh man guys and gals I really haven't done anything with the blog in three days! See I miss one day and BOOM three days later here I am. All or nothing kinda gal......What's that?.....You forgive me! Great! 

You are the best.

These past few days I made a mental promise to stay away from my studio for the most part and spend more time with my boyfriend's two kids. They will be going back to school soon and I have been hiding away working on pieces for the DIY Art Festival.

I did manage to get a little time in the studio for myself and started a fun watercolor piece themed from Alice in Wonderland! It is going to be very dainty and girly with flowers! I love it already. What do you think so far?!

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Even though I started a piece and worked on a few others I still can't help feeling like I have totally fallen behind. I have this feeling more than I realize. Behind what? My expectations? Due dates? Have you ever given up doing something completely because you felt you were too far behind for it to even matter? I didn't choose painting as a major in college until two years in because I felt that since I never took any courses in high school I would be so far behind everyone else that why bother. Switching was one of the best things I ever did! 

So are you feeling behind? Do you feel you're stressed because you can never get ahead of your laundry? Do tasks at work keep piling higher every time you finish one? Feel like your business will never succeed because so many just like it are already so popular? Have a new blog and think will this ever take off......wait....oh how silly of me I am getting off topic.

Here are 5 things to remember when you feel like you are falling behind:

1. Take a breath and enjoy life. You only get one.

I have mentioned before what taking some time to meditate and breathe can do for you. If you haven't heard....it does wonders! If you feel like you are falling behind you probably have some anxiety and stress along with that thought and closing your eyes and breathing can help wash that away. It will make it easier to continue on with getting those things caught up and back to normal without the pressure of guilt and even depression!

2. How did you get here?

Is this the first time you have felt this way or have you been in this position before? What lead you to feeling so trapped and helpless? Take a step back from the situation and look to see how you could have avoided it, if at all. If you could have avoided it, let yourself feel disappointed (BUT ONLY FOR A SECOND!) You have to acknowledge your feelings. Then move on! Get up and try again better next time. If you find that you couldn't have even avoided getting to the point you are at....then make like Elsa and LLEETT ITT GOOO!

2. You are further ahead then you think!

Ever look back at a stressful time and think....why was I so crazy I did great! I think 9 times out of 10 when I think I am behind I really am ahead! I guess this depends on what you are feeling behind.

..if it is you're own goals then you might want to reevaluate your goals or the manor in which you are trying to reach them. BUT, if you are feeling behind "others" or some sort of "work" I bet you will look back on today and say that you really were ahead of the game.

3. Need some reassurance?

Sometimes I think I am like Gretchen Rubin and need a ton of gold stars. Reassurance can so important to people (especially artists) that they create this sob story in their heads when they don't receive it enough. I am guilty of this. If I am not getting enough good feedback I can make myself feel like I am falling behind. When someone gives me a gold star and recognizes my good work I feel a lot better. So what I need to learn is that I need to give myself a gold star whenever I start to feel behind. If you have trouble with this like I do here is one free golden star just for you: YOU CAN DO IT! WOW WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR! DON'T WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE LOOK AT ALL YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED! 

4. Just do the best you can do.

All you can do is the best you can do. Odds are you are doing just fine. If you can say you are putting 110% into everything you do and are still feeling behind, then you might want to think differently. 

There you have it! Just remember life is about having fun and love! I hope today's blog makes you feel a little more at ease and you can forgive me for being absent the last few days. Oh and I almost forgot! Gues what came in the mail today! My brand new business cards! Take a look and let me know what you think! 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Pinback Button, Magnet, Mirror, or Bottle Opener by - PinMeDown

Song of the Day:

Fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe (ACOUSTIC)

Color of the Day:

Glass Slipper

The Wonderful World of Wood Burning - Pyrography

Hello Again! Today I thought we could talk about a type of art that I have gotten into within the past year and I am OBSESSED! Wood Burning or "Pyrography". I really enjoy experimenting with new mediums and different materials to create on. On a whim near Christmas of last year I decided to buy a starter kit just to play with......Well, I ended up making up practically all of my Christmas gifts to friends and family using it! I couldn't get enough and I was jam packed with different ideas.

This was one of the first pieces a made from an old TV tray. My mother and pops are moving to Oregon so I burned the state on the tray with their "clan name". I stained the outside and sealed it with varnish. They loved it! It was a fun, simple, and thoughtful gift. Homemade gifts are definitely better than bought!

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I have continued to adventure away with my wood burner and was lucky enough to get a ton of really great tips for my burner that allow me to create some unique lines and shapes. Also it came in a great organized container with different sections that I can separate however I want. If it keeps easily tidy I am already in love! 

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What is so appealing about burning wood? I grew up in a very "rustic family' which is odd because I grew up in a normal suburban town in Michigan just outside of Detroit. Not the most rustic places in the world but that's just how my family was. My mother grew up in Colorado and most of our love for wood and nature was probably brought on by her. So even the idea of working with wood I was drawn too and had been painting on wood for a while and it feels much more organic. 

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I have a love / hate relationship with the fact that it's pretty much permanent so if you mess up it is almost impossible to fix. I am use to oil painting which is easy to work with since it stays wet for so much longer and you are fix your mistakes much easier than say watercolor or even acrylic. I have learned this great "scraping" technique with a small razor to eliminate light burns in areas you don't want. But I tend to use the burner on the higher settings and it burns rather deep, quickly which tends to not scrape well. I end up with big divots in those areas.

(This video is a really great example on how to scrape some mistakes away from your burning.)

I had sketchbooks filled with these great doodles I came up with for fun a while back. I never thought I would end up doing anything with them but when I decided to make small wood burned paintings out of them I was pleasantly surprised at how CUTE they turned out! 

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Mixing paint on a wood burned area is so much fun because it can almost feel like you are coloring. you have to be very careful not to get too close to the burn or the paint tends to run down in the burn and it's very hard to "wipe away" but it is fixable for the most part and I think the finished look is really stunning! 

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Mixing paint on a wood burned area is so much fun because it can almost feel like you are coloring. you have to be very careful not to get too close to the burn or the paint tends to run down in the burn and it's very hard to "wipe away" but it is fixable for the most part and I think the finished look is really stunning! 

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Well that's it for today everyone! Thanks for stopping by and if you are even slightly interested in trying out wood burning after reading this I ABSOLUTELY recommend it! For more on pieces like "The Owl" below, be sure to check out my Etsy Shop! Or follow me in Instagram where I frequently post these step by step pictures of my process through a piece! Thanks again!

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Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Custom Made To Order Wood Burned Sign With Pressed Flowers by - EarthenAllure

Song of the Day:

Ellie Goulding - Burn

Color of the Day:

Ben Moore Tuscan Red 1300

Can weather control your productivity?

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WELCOME BACK!

I am having a sort of a hard time feeling inspired today. I hope that if I just write that I can work myself up to it. I just don't want to fake anything in the blogs. YES, I want this to be successful but even more so I want it to be honest.

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I think part of the reason I am feeling uninspired is the weather. Which might be interesting to mention for the fact that it's bright and sunny out! I am the kind of person who thrives on dark and dreary. I always thought I was MADE for Seattle. If it rained everyday I would feel right at home.

I have known this about myself for a long time and when I wake up and see cloudy skies I get immediately excited for all that I know I will get done that day.......Why is that?

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Everyone is different, but I know most people are thrilled for sunny skies and "perfect weather." I think for me I want to feel productive. On a beautiful day I feel distracted because there is a pull for me to go outside and I feel guilty for not being outside and enjoying the weather. If it is rainy I know it's alright to be inside working and I feel ahead of the game for not just laying around being lazy like most people tend to do when it's "yucky" out.

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This works the same for seasons. I actually love the fall and winter because I tend to get the most accomplished. Michigan winters can tend to be very very long so I will get some cabin fever towards the end of winter. For the most part I would rather have a day that forces me to bundle up inside my studio and art away!

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Another reason why I think I enjoy rainy and snowy weather over sunny bright skies is because I absolutely HATE being hot and sweaty. Michigan is the worst for humidity and I become a cranky, whiny, mess if it's hot and humid. I definitely get more accomplished if I am not cranky ahaha.

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Do you find that certain weather effects your productivity? Do you relate to my love for rainy days or are you motivated by the new opportunities in the air from spring? Maybe you love the fall colors and it puts you right in the mood for the perfect productivity!


Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

I'm Only Happy When It Rains Long-Sleeve Tee by- lulusimonTEES

Song of the Day:

Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love

Color of the Day:
Cinnamon slate

Inside Cloud Nine Studios - Making Greeting Cards

The last two days have been SUPER productive! I spend the majority of the last two days off from my gallery job in my own studio kicking out work that I plan to display at the DIY ART FAIR next month. I thought today I would bring you inside my studio and show you how I made this fun Michigan watercolor greeting cards.

Supplies you'll need:

                   Watercolor paper

   Ruler

Painter's Tape

 Acrylic Paint Markers (Fine Tip suggested)

 Spray Adhesive

 Watercolor Paints

 Blank Greeting Cards 

Let's Get Started:

I started by measuring my blank greeting card 1/2 inch smaller on each side to come up with the dimensions for my watercolor piece. Mine ended up being 3 x 5 (my greeting card was 4 x 6 in).

I then cut out 20 or so watercolor pieces at these dimensions. I now had my template.

Next I used my painter's tape and taped the edges down on a flat surface. This is because watercolor causes the edges to curl up and this ensures that your paper stays as flat as possible. I applied some watercolor to the paper how ever I felt looked nice for each piece. GET CREATIVE!  I decided I liked the look of flicking white over the top of the watercolor for another layer. Feel free to do whatever you like!
Next I traced the Michigan mitten on the lower right hand corner with a fine tip pen. I painted it in with different acrylic paint markers depending on the colors I used for that particular card!

After I had made a good number if card covers I took my watercolor pieces and my blank greeting cards outside. I sprayed the adhesive to the back of the watercolor cover and placed it in the center of the blank cards.

I had such a good time making these cards! You really can do so many things and they are a great little item that should sell fairly easily. I will be so pleased to show off these little items at the DIY Art Fair next month and I just know that having smaller and lower priced items along with the rest of my inventory will really be key in having a successful booth.

One of my biggest tips with this project is really make sure that your watercolor piece is completely dry before tracing your Michigan stencil. If you want to speed up the process, using a hair dryer on a warm low setting helps a ton!

I hope you enjoyed a look inside my studio today and hope I have inspired you to make some of these great watercolor greeting cards! What would you put on your cards?

Let me know what you think be commenting below and have a wonderful day!


Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Watercolor pillow, home decor, watercolor accents, watercolor painting, abstract watercolor, throw pillow cover, modern home decor, colorful by- RoveStudio

Song of the Day:
Agnes Obel - Riverside

Color of the Day:

Henrietta